What should i do?

Kara - posted on 01/20/2011

Try not to stress over it. The more stressed you are the worse the situation is going to get. My daughter is turning 3 in a couple of weeks and I am right where you are. I have started using my Deceptively Delicious cookbook like crazy and it is working for us. It is filled with kid friendly meals that are packed with all sorts of fruit and veggies. Remember it is like everything else, just a phase and though they feel like they last forever, they all end eventually.

April - posted on 01/19/2011

Thank you ladies so much for all your advice, i feel a lot better now that i know i'm not alone and you all made such great points. My daughter is of normal weight so i'm just glad she loves fruits so much. Thank you all again :)

Angie - posted on 01/19/2011

Don't force her to eat. My children all did the same thing. As soon as they were in a growth spurt they were eating like horses again. She'll be fine....

Stifler's - posted on 01/19/2011

My kid is the same. So frustrating, he is sick at the moment and wants milk milk milk and no food. Any food I give him he throws or refuses to eat. It's okay for toddlers to just have snacks like cheese or a sandwich or yoghurt during the day instead of rigid meals.

Rhiannon - posted on 01/19/2011

She's to busy playing and learning to eat :) Let her graze through out the day leave a plate of fruit out so she can help herself as she goes along give her small triangle sandwiches for lunch so she can eat while she plays, if you all sit down to a family meal in the evening talk to her and tell her that she has to stay at the table until everyone has finished eating x

Emily - posted on 01/19/2011

5 spoonfuls sounds really good actually. There are days my kid will eat 1 bite. Then other days he cleans the plate.

Let your daughter be the judge of how much she needs. She knows her tummy, not you. ;) By letting her control her intake, you are teaching her to trust her body and only eat until full, not stuffing herself. That is a very important thing, IMO.

Amie - posted on 01/19/2011

My youngest barely ate anything until she was almost three. It can be scary, but kids won't go hungry. You're doing a great job I'm sure. Since your little one eats so little I'd just make sure to make every bite count. Make sure the bites of things she does take are packed with nutrients. The fact that she's eating fruit shows you are probably already doing this though, so just keep up the good work and try not to be too worried.

Teresa - posted on 01/19/2011

My friend's daughter at that age would literally lick a waffle and be done w/ breakfast. It was foreign to me since my girls were such good eaters, but it IS normal (as I've learned w/ my son now). Keep offering her a variety of healthy foods on a regular basis throughout the day and as long as she is eating SOMETHING and is healthy and active.... don't worry too much. :)

Oh, and the 'waffle licker' is still a picky eater, but she's a happy, healthy 8 year old now.

Kathy - posted on 01/19/2011

Make sure she is getting atleast three meals and two to three snacks. Snacks should be healthy and since she like fruits-bonus! Offer her a variety of healthy foods at each meal and let her eat until she is full. She is little and has a little tummy so she will not eat much. As long as she is growing and learning and playing, she is healthy and you are doing great as a mom!

Helen - posted on 01/19/2011

You've just described my 2 year old son exactly. I went to see my family doctor who reassured me that its perfectly normal for a child of this age, and so long as he is taking on fluids it's not that important if he's not eating 3 meals a day. So long as what they eat is nutritious and they're not living on junk, it's something eventually that they will grow out of.
I know how you're feeling though, it's enough to drive you to distraction!! After speaking to my doc, I've decided to go with it and not make a fuss, but we have an understanding that if he doesnt eat tea, there's no treats. I figure the more fuss you make the worse it will be, and hopefully in time he'll want to try more different things!
Stick with it! x

Louise - posted on 01/19/2011

Try and stick to three meals a day with two snacks of fruit. If your child is growing and is healthy then she is obviously getting enough to eat. Try also eatting together as a family as much as possible because if a toddler sees you eat they will want to copy you. My two year old eats a huge amount on one day and barely touches the food the next, she is of a normal weight and does not seem to bothered so I just go with the flow.

Lisa - posted on 01/19/2011

You have to remember her age and size when considering how much food she's eating. As adults, we often overserve our children. General rule is a serving size is a tablespoon per year of age.

I had a nephew who only ate cheerios and milk for all three meals for an entire year. There are days when my kids only will eat whole wheat bread with jelly.

Let her help pick out what she wants as much as possible and as long as she's healthy, you're doing fine.

Bonnie - posted on 01/19/2011

It's good that at least she likes something healthy. There are many kids who are fussy and only eat a handful and that's it. I would just keep giving her things that she loves to eat and sometimes throw in a couple of others to see if she will take to them. As long as her weight is okay, it shouldn't be a problem.

Phyllis - posted on 01/19/2011

It's good that she is eating lots of fruit. Kids go through these stages at this age, and as long as she is growing normally, I would not be worried. Just be sure that you offer her healthy foods so that she is eating good food when she does decide to eat. You can also make smoothies and such that you can add tofu and yogurt to, and some veggies can be hidden in there as well. I used to blend spinach in strawberry smoothies. It was nasty looking, but my kids liked it...lol. If you are really worried, try Pediasure or other nutritional drinks. If it is not one geared to kids, be sure to dilute it.